Plumas and Trinity Approaching Peak
Grace Smith reports from Anderson, that the Shasta Cascade region of northeast California is finally approaching peak with lots of color developing in Trinity and Plumas Counties.
GO NOW – 50 – 75% – Plumas County – Aspen around Antelope Lake are approaching peak, with some lime, though mostly fluttering yellow and orange. Most other trees in the Greenville area are also near peak. Joe Willis reports on his blog (Black Oak Naturalist) that in Quincy, a sweet gum, or liquidamber, on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn is currently putting on a great show, as is a nearby mountain ash which is loaded with bright orange berries and some of its leaves are turning red. Joe also recommends looking closely at the black oak leaves, a mix of green and orange. The coming two weeks are anticipated to be optimum viewing for Plumas County, as the color is expected to drop, thereafter.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Trinity County – Colors are brilliant along CA-3 near Trinity Center and Coffee Creek, with bigleaf maple warming the highway with orange and yellow and Pacific dogwood blushing red and pink. Lower down, along CA-299 bewtween (Weaverville) and Whiskeytown NRA, wild cucumber are beginning to glow chartreuse, while bigleaf maple are bright yellow and lime.
15 – 30% – Butte County – There hasn’t been much change in the past week, though this changes quickly and when it does, it can be spectacular. Optimal areas to see fall color in Butte County remain Bidwell Park in Chico, Chico State University, the Highway 99 corridor, and Highway 32 corridor. Oct. 10 is AutumnFest, between Chico and Durham at the Midway Patrick Ranch Museum. For more about this event, CLICK HERE.
15 – 30% – Shasta County – Similar to Butte County, more lime is turning to yellow, though it’s still at higher elevation. Along the Sacramento River Trail in Redding, near the Sundial Bridge and at the Anderson River Park, you’ll see orange oaks, some bigleaf maple and riparian shrubbery. CLICK HERE for news on local events.
0 – 15% – Tehama County 0-15% – There’s been little change at lower elevations in Tehama County. All the action is occurring above 6,000′. A good route to see it is along Hwy 36 from Red Bluff to Chester.
LA Times Gives CalifFallColor A Nod
Chris Erskine of the travel desk at the LA Times posted a nod to California Fall Color for our reporting of what’s happening at Mammoth Lakes this week. CLICK HERE to read the story.
Reflecting on Convict Lake – Go Now!
On reflection, Convict Lake – south of Mammoth Lakes- is picture-perfect, presently. Color spotter Christie Osborne reports that color has now descended to 7,000′ in elevation approaching full peak at Mammoth Lakes. Weather has been ideal with temps in the 60s and no wind. Nights remain cool in 20s and 30s, providing for optimal conditions to intensify fall color.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Convict Lake – Picture-perfect reflections are to be seen in Convict Lake on still days, the color has blanketed the far end of the lake and along its banks with bright yellow. There’s still some lime, so unless the color gets stripped, it should last a while.
GO NOW! 50-75% – Mammoth Lakes – Below 7,500′ – There’s lots of color to be seen along Sherwin Creek Road and Mammoth Creek, which hasn’t quite hit peak, but will soon.
GO NOW! 75-100% – Mammoth Lakes – Above 8,000′ – Full peak to past peak is occurring at the highest elevations in The Sherwins above the town of Mammoth Lakes.
Despite the Government Shutdown, there are plenty of fall color viewing options in and around Mammoth Lakes. For more information about color viewing and visiting Yosemite during the Government Shutdown, CLICK HERE. For deals on lodging, dining, and activities, CLICK HERE.
Capture California Recommends #FallColor
The outdoor social media game, Capture California has created six new game “adventures” to encourage teams to search for California Fall Color. The adventures are titled, Deliver Dogwood, Colorful Cottonwood, Going Bigleaf, Capture a Rhubarb (Indian, that is), Amazing Arboretums, and Fall Color Bonus. There’s also “First Gold,” an adventure that sends teams in search of aspen.
Capture California is a free game in which teams of two to three players post photos of their outdoor adventures on social media, to win prizes from REI, Southwest Airlines and Apple.
What is your favorite California Fall Color plant that’s missing from their list of adventures?
Tahoe Peaking at Brockway Summit (Hwy 267)
Lake Tahoe is approaching peak or at peak.
GO NOW! – 50-75% – North Shore Drive (Hwy 28) – Willows have turned chartreuse, aspen are 30 to 50% turned, exotic species of maple are red, orange and auburn with tinges of gold.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – West Shore (Hwy 89) – Aspen are between 30 and 50% turned, while willows and exotic maples have peaked.
GO NOW! – 75-100% – Brockway Summit (7,100′) – The Truckee side of Hwy 267 is peaking with aspen groves varying from 50% to full peak. Beautiful orange and yellow-orange is seen in the grove farthest up the road. Many bridal couples and models were getting photographed near an old shed in a meadow off the road.
GO NOW! – 50-75% – Truckee – Most of the aspen are between 30 and 50%, while willows, and exotic maple and rose hips are peaking.
Northern Sierra Melody
Color spotter Richard McCutcheon sends this video (click link below) of color to be seen in the Northern Sierra (Plumas County). Here also are his gorgeous shots of big, orange, Indian Rhubarb fan leaves.
GO NOW! – 75-100% – Butt Creek, Plumas County – Indian Rhubarb is at peak with big bunches of orange fan leaves.
Now, You’re Talking – Full Peak Bishop Creek
This week’s photos and report from Jared Smith of Parcher’s Resort in Bishop Creek Canyon has the high country at full peak. Corresponding reports from color spotters indicate that several areas are approaching Past Peak, so this is a definite Go Now! alert.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – FULL PEAK – Overall Conditions above 8,500 ft
The bitter cold and wind experienced up Bishop Creek Canyon last weekend had the expected effect on some of the groves that had already fully turned, namely the leaves began to fall or the brilliant color turned dull auburn or even black. Thankfully, there was huge percentage of color that had just started to turn and thus weathered the cold quite well and the cold snap kicked into gear much of the color that had yet to change. The overall result was a fast transformation of much of the lower lying aspen and willows along the road or creek. While some of the higher scrub aspen are bare now, the older growth trees have made up for it and the views are still absolutely spectacular.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Overall Conditions below 8,500 ft
The cold snap over the weekend caused a dramatic change in the mid elevation aspen turning entire groves of dark green or lime green into brilliant yellow with hints of orange. There have even been changes in the color as low as 7500ft in just a week’s time. Expect many of these areas to peak over the course of the next week provided the cold weather and wind stay moderate.
Location Specific Reports
GO NOW! – 75-100% – South Lake Rd above Mt. Glen Camp (8,600 ft) – Some of the smaller scrub aspen have gone bare but the majority of the color remains and has turned brilliant yellow with quite a bit of orange showing. A few very obvious pockets of red are also adding to a spectacular view.
GO NOW! – 50-75% – Mountain Glen Campground (8,400 ft) – There is a ton of yellow here with most of the aspen along the creek and on the hillside adjacent to the road showing beautiful color. Not much in the way of orange or read hues but the yellow is brilliant and the lime green is too. If Mother Nature behaves we should have some peak color here by next week’s report.
30 – 50% – Mist Falls (8,350 ft) – This area continues to progress slower than other areas of Bishop Creek Canyon, though is now hovering about 50% turned. The majority of the yellow is just above or to the right of the waterfall.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Groves above Cardinal Village & Aspendell (8,550 ft) – The groves above Cardinal Village are fully turned and look spectacular with the crest in the backdrop. The lower lying aspen around Cardinal Village are now in full peak display. Aspendell has a fair amount of green still hanging around but if you take into account all of the color between the North Lake turnoff and the village of Aspendell, the average would be somewhere in the 75% range
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Sabrina Campground (9,000 ft) – Time to get up here, glorious views along the creek with brilliant yellow reflecting in the slow moving stream. Much of the orange and red along the road which peaked first is gone, but there is still plenty of peak or almost peak color here.
30-50% – Forks, Four Jeffries, Big Trees & Bishop Park Camgrounds (8,000 ft – 8,300 ft) – Quite a bit of color developing in these areas. Still, the color is probably closer to 30% than 50% but some areas, like the groves just above Four Jeffries for instance, is closer to the 50% of peak color.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Table Mountain Camp (8,900 ft) – The cold snap last week put this grove into high gear and it is near or at peak now with gorgeous orange hues with yellow and lime in the background. The meandering stream flowing through the meadow can make for some spectacular views right now.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Surveyors Meadow (8,975 ft) – While much of the color is past peak now, there is still so much color here that I’m still rating it in the 75 – 100% range. The best of the color is along the creek, along the road and looking up towards the Tyee Ridge…simply stunning with a few pockets of bright red still showing.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Willow Campground (9,100 ft) – Probably closer to 75% than 100% but this area is certainly going off right now with color. The campground itself, the aspen lining the road near the beaver dam and old growth groves just above the campground as spectacular.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Parchers Camp – Some of the smaller scrub aspen groves were lost this past week to cold and wind. However, there is still so much color surrounding the resort that peak color is accurate. The hillside looking up towards Coyote Ridge is unbelievable right now with far more orange and red than we’re used to seeing. Spectacular views of the surrounding hillsides are showing all day long and the aspen within the resort property and along Green Creek are also showing spectacular color.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Weir Pond (9,700 ft) – While the scrub aspen above the pond are now past peak, the aspen along the road, pond and the view up towards South Lake are in full peak color. Reds, limes, orange and yellow is all there.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Lake Sabrina (9,150 ft) – The best views of the lake have come and gone but just below the dam has exploded with color. The bridge and the two ponds just below the dam are also incredibly vibrant with a good showing of red to go along with yellow.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – North Lake (9,255 ft) – This is another difficult area to grade as different parts of the lake and surrounding area peak at different times. The hillside above North Lake itself is past peak but still showing lots of color, including some nice red hues. The groves along the road however are spectacular and in full peak color. Some of the groves up near the campground have some change coming yet.
30 – 50% – Intake II (8,100 ft) – Groves above the lake are past peak now but the color is just now starting to pop around the shoreline of this small lake. I’ll bet this area will be truly spectacular in the coming week.
Red Appearing in the Shasta Cascade – Still Early
Red has been the theme of this autumn’s show so far, across California. The Shasta Cascade is no different, reporting ruby as well, in the north state. Here’s the latest from color spotter Grace Smith.
15 – 30% – Butte County- A majority of the trees in Butte County are still mainly green, with a slight appearance of lime and yellow. As happens, some trees are progressing quicker than others. Locals recommend visiting Bidwell Park in Chico, Chico State University campus, and the Highway 99 and Highway 32 corridors. As previously reported (See Special Events Category), several events are planned in the Chico area. More about them can be obtained by calling 530-891-5556 or visiting www.chicochamber.com.
30 – 50% – Plumas County – Most of the color to be found is at lower elevations of the Indian Valley. Richard McCutcheon reports dogwoods are starting to flush above Round Valley Lake. He says it’s become “very pretty up in the woods, now. Oaks are turning yellow but not red, yet.” Bigleaf maples are changing rapidly in the Indian Valley, more quickly than at higher elevations. Exotic specimens are coloring up in Quincy and Taylorsville, as captured by color spotter Jeff Titcomb. Special Event: Indian Valley Leaf Peepers’ Ride occurs Oct. 5. Visit www.indianvalley.net.
0 – 15% – Shasta County – Not much has changed in Shasta County. The leaves are slowly starting to show light green. Winds have blown some early changers from branches and stems. The change is predicted to intensify in the coming two weeks. Look for the Sacramento River Trail near the Sundial Bridge in Redding and at Anderson River Park in Anderson to show beautifully this season. More info on Shasta County events is found at www.shastcascade.com
0 – 15% – Tehama County – The home of Red Bluff and the upper Sacramento River Valley is hovering just below 15%, this week, with trees beginning to show change. This area is exhibiting lovely shades of burnt orange and red, tinging mostly green leaves. Expect the change to rapidly progress within two weeks. Special Event: Harvest Dinner Under The Stars takes place Oct. 5. Find more at www.landconservation.org/.
15 – 30% – Siskiyou County – Not much has been reported as changing in Siskiyou County, at the far northern end of California. If heading there, check out Bike-toberfest in McCloud: www.mccloudchamber.com/bike-tober.
30 – 50% – Lassen County – The leaves in Lassen County are changing rapidly. Bigleaf maples are coloring up with beautiful shades of red. A lot of them and cottonwood are showing yellow. Special Event: Rails to Trails Festival, Oct. 12: www.lassenlandandtrailstrust.org/rails-to-trails.html.
Big Bear Colors Up for Photo Contest
GO NOW! – 30 – 50% – Big Bear – Color spotter Dan McKernan reports the color at Big Bear Lake has jumped dramatically this week to near 50%. We alerted in our last posting that Big Bear has this tendency and even though it hasn’t yet reached 50%, we’re issuing a Go Now! Alert for the San Bernardino Mountains.
Big Bear Photo Contest – Another reason to head to the San Bernardinos is Big Bear Lake’s photo contest. Entry is easy. Just post a photo of Big Bear’s fall colors on select social media and your shot could get published in 400,000 visitor guides, distributed in more than 3,600 locations throughout Southern California, Nevada and Arizona and at BigBear.com.
Photos of Big Bear’s fall foliage must be posted with the hash tag, #FallForBigBear, on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook between Oct. 4, and Nov. 1, 2013. The winner will be selected on Nov. 4.
Bear Lake has some of the most spectacular displays of fall foliage to be seen in Southern California. This happens because of the San Bernardino Mountain’s ideal conditions for generating bright color: evening temperatures in the 30s and 40s and sunny, warm days, creating intense gold, crimson, amber and yellow on Big Bear’s cottonwood, aspen and oaks.
This year’s peak can be seen in the next two weeks at: Big Bear Village, Mill Creek Road, The Pine Knot Trail, Grout Bay Trail, Castle Rock Trail and the Aspen Grove, a picture-perfect grove of quaking aspen. Directions to these locations are found at BigBear.com.